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August 10, 2006
The Spookiest Puzzle In The Entire World!
Or, at least I think so...
So, Oh Patient One was very naughty this week, because he sent me a link to a very spookily odd computer puzzle. Naughty, because he has distracted me from my current writing-at-top-speed project, and I am now convinced that my computer has developed telepathy!
The Teenagers, of course, have thought about it long and hard, and they tell me that the logical explanation for why my computer only seemingly reads my mind is very simple, but it relates to math. And me and math are not a marriage made in heaven, let me tell you. And (The Teenagers also tell me) no, my computer is not going to turn into some kind of evil mind-control manic entity and try to take over me, the world, and the universe any time soon, but when they try to explain it to me, I just. Don't. Get it.
Do you?
If you would like to torture yourselves for a bit, the link is below. And be sure to let me know why it works if you can fathom it. (No complicated math, please.)
(Oh, and the URL doesn't work from all browsers, so you might have to switch about a bit).
The Spookiest Puzzle In The Entire World
Do you get it? Spooky, no? And if anyone has found something even more spooky, be sure to let me know about that, too.
In the meantime, last week I promised that I would announce the winner of my mini contest for a sleep T-shirt with the cover of Confessions of a Serial Dater emblazoned on the front. Well, Teenager No 1 very helpfully pulled a name out of the magic hat a bit earlier, and the winner is...
It is...
Chickadee Brittney!
Thank you so much for playing, all of you lovely chickadees, you're all winners to me :-)
Michelle, who thinks that her computer is watching her...Oh, no, it's the webcam Oh Patient One installed earlier in the week.
Posted by Michelle at 1:00 PM | Comments (13)
Comments
yay im so excited so the shirt!!!! i just sent you my adress michelle!!! i hope ur computer doesnt take over ur life.....i have become addicted to my laptop....hehe
Posted by: brittney at August 10, 2006 1:42 PM
You are more than welcome, Brittney :-)
And I think you have a point about being addicted to computers... (It's a secret computer conspiracy to take over the world!)
Posted by: Michelle C at August 10, 2006 2:09 PM
I only get a blank window. *pout* I guess I'll have to try a different browser, because I certainly don't spend nearly enough time staring at this screen. ;+)
Posted by: ZaZa at August 10, 2006 2:14 PM
ZaZa, have you tried it in Internet Explorer? It didn't work for me, first time around, in Mozilla Firefox.
But it is very spooky...
Posted by: Michelle C at August 10, 2006 2:28 PM
The answers to the math are multples of 9 and all of those pictures are the same.
Posted by: Michelle in Colorado Springs at August 10, 2006 4:07 PM
Okay, I did it twice (using different numbers) and it freaked me out. Thank you Michelle. How did you know I woke up this morning thinking, 'You know what I REALLY need? I need to be freaked out.'
Posted by: Janina at August 10, 2006 11:37 PM
Spoiler Alert!
After I exclaimed Oh, Wow! about eleven times, my Math Genius son watched over my shoulder and explained it to me. Whenever you add two number together, then subtract the sum of the digits it will ALWAYS be a factor of nine. If you look on the chart, all the factors of nine are the same symbol. The part that makes it spooky is that the chart changes the symbol associated with those factors of nine each time so that it looks like it's reading your mind.
It's really depressing when one's kids are way smarter than oneself.
Posted by: Robin L at August 10, 2006 11:55 PM
Michelle said...
ZaZa, have you tried it in Internet Explorer? It didn't work for me, first time around, in Mozilla Firefox.
Yes, that was it, and, crikey, but it is eerie.
RobinL said...
my Math Genius son watched over my shoulder and explained it to me. Whenever you add two number together, then subtract the sum of the digits it will ALWAYS be a factor of nine. If you look on the chart, all the factors of nine are the same symbol. The part that makes it spooky is that the chart changes the symbol associated with those factors of nine each time so that it looks like it's reading your mind.
Ah. Well, I was part way there, well, a step or two in the right direction. I had noticed that both my choices had the same symbol. How long would it have taken me to get to your son's conclusion? More time than I have left in this lifetime. ;+)
Posted by: ZaZa at August 11, 2006 2:26 AM
Janina said:
Thank you Michelle. How did you know I woke up this morning thinking, 'You know what I REALLY need? I need to be freaked out.'
Michelle: My eveil telepathic computer planted the thought in my brain, mwahahaha ;-)
Then Robin said:
It's really depressing when one's kids are way smarter than oneself.
Michelle: Sigh, tell me about it, Robin :-) And thanks for the much simpler explanation about how the puzzle works - I *nearly* get it. Sigh. Me and math...And to the other Michelle - you were right about the 9, go you!
Then ZaZa said:
How long would it have taken me to get to your son's conclusion? More time than I have left in this lifetime. ;+)
Michelle: You and me, both, ZaZa ;+) And I still think it's spooky...
Posted by: Michelle C at August 11, 2006 7:17 AM
Holy multiplication tables, Batman! That nine thing is seriously trippy.
Then again, I've always had trouble with nines. At least, until Thing One was learning his multiplication tables in fourth grade and taught me that thing to do with your fingers.
Eileen
Posted by: Eileen ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 11, 2006 12:09 PM
okay, that freaked me out really a lot. and - brain tired - so it doesn't take much!!!
Posted by: Alesia Holliday at August 11, 2006 7:24 PM
My SIL sent that to me last week. My kids LOVED it. It totally freaked out my younger son. My older son got it in about 3 minutes. He just has this thing with numbers. He sat there and said...Oh, it's all about math, Mom. Look, check out the symbols, they're the same for the 9s. And look at the .... And I heard... Geez, mom, you're stupid. It's all MATH. Yep, that explains it - it's MATH and you just don't get it, look at the ninesMATH, see?
Posted by: dee at August 13, 2006 11:33 PM
Apparently (according to The Teenagers) kids learn how to look for these patterns in MIDDLE SCHOOL. Obviously, things have moved on since I went to middle school :-)
Posted by: Michelle C at August 15, 2006 8:20 AM
